SQUIRRELS VS HOT PEPPER BIRD SEED! Does this spicy food actually work against squirrels?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ก.ค. 2021
- IN TODAY'S VIDEO, I TEST TO SEE IF HOT PEPPER BIRD SEED ACTUALLY PREVENTS SQUIRRELS FROM EATING ALL THE FOOD AT YOUR FEEDING STATION!
In case you didn’t know, hot pepper birdseed is food that has been infused or coated with something incredibly spicy. For example, hot habanero chili peppers or cayenne pepper is often used.
So, why on earth would you put out birdseed that would make our mouths burn?
The reason might surprise you, and it’s not because birds have suddenly acquired a taste for spicy food. 🙂
Think of the last time you ate a hot pepper. The “heat“ that you feel in your mouth after eating one is caused by a compound called capsaicin. The reason we feel pain, discomfort, and burning after eating hot peppers is that capsaicin messes with specific nerve endings in our mouth.
So here is the crazy thing:
Only MAMMALS are affected by capsaicin.
Birds don’t have much of a sense of taste or smell, so they are immune. As a result, they can eat hot pepper birdseed all day long and have no ill effects.
Squirrels have SUPER sensitive noses, so all it takes is one smell, or maybe a small taste, and they will start looking for food elsewhere.
And please don’t worry about the birds eating spicy food as it’s completely safe. Products that contain capsaicin have been on the market for a long time now. There are no reports of any birders or ornithologists who have spoken on the adverse health consequences for birds.
Does this sound too good to be true?
So while using hot pepper birdseed is an effective strategy for stopping squirrels, it’s not perfect.
First, buying food that has been treated with capsaicin is EXPENSIVE when compared with regular birdseed that is not spicy. But on the flip side, you won’t be feeding squirrels anymore, so the supply of food should last longer.
Here's the link to the COLE'S HOT PEPPER BIRD SEED (10 LB) - amzn.to/3x3KAhV
Image(s) and/or Footage used under license from Shutterstock.com.
This is not so much a matter of birds lacking taste or smell (some birds have a great sense of smell), but about the pepper plants using a pretty harmless chemical defence for their seeds to select a particular group of seed distributors. Capsicum is the active ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot. It chemically reacts with mammalian nerve cells to get them to send the same signal that they send when the cells are overheated, but without doing any actual damage in the process. That is why eating hot peppers always feels like heat and not some other pain, like chewing broken glass (highly not recommended). The nerve cells in birds and reptiles use a slightly different mechanism to detect being on fire and so are effectively immune to the effects of capsicum. From the plant's point of view, it wants its seeds distributed by birds, who have a fast digestion system to keep the weight down, not by mammals who tend to have a more aggressive digestion which will break down the seeds, so the plants try to scare away the annoying mammals with a chemical defence for the next generation.
Specifically, birds lack the TRPV1 receptor humans have for detecting the chemically induced signal of heat from capsaicin in peppers.
Capsicum is also a pest repellant for insects too
Thanks for the information.
How do you even know that level of detail? That's an amazing breakdown of what's happening here and why this works so well.
wait till he needs to take a toilet break! He's going to find out all about it then!!
I wonder if the squirrel is going to feel it later like I do when I eat spicy food?🤔 😹
Hope there was water nearby. That's what I look for when I eat anything spicy.
🐿💩 🔥 🚒
Squirrels can't fart, so they could be killed by intestinal gas. It's another meaning for "busting a gut".
He should leave some preparation H out
He started his own fart channel
🐿💨💥
This strategy works on humans as well. Back in the day I had a extreme moocher for a roommate that would eat all of my food. So I started getting spicy food. I happen to like it much hotter than normal. 1 bite of my spanish rice and that was all she wrote. I could then have hot wings any time I wanted and some good chili or creole shrimp.
I had some college buddies who started ordering ham on their pizzas for similar reasons.
That is hilarious! Did your roommate ever say anything, or did they just quietly stop eating your food?
I started buying weird stuff like head cheese and pickled pigs feet.
Jokes on you I like spicy food
Good work.
Glad to know they have food on the ground as well 💚
How neat the different species of birds eating together
My birds eat with my squirrels. They are like a mixed family and it is beautiful to see them all get along. My Blue Jays are the hawk police for the squirrels, crows, mourning doves, cardinals, starlings, sparrows and ducks. They are literally one big happy group of furry & feathered friends! My regulars have been here the last 2 years and have learned to eat side by side.
When you buy as much bird and critter food as I do, they learn to get along. These guys eat better than I do...and they bring me such joy.
I’m in the same boat. I spend roughly $170 every 3 months on bird seed plus bag after bag of peanuts for my squirrels! Like you said - they eat better than me !
I love to feed the squirrels and birds. I would never use hot pepper.
Me to... i don't mind them at all... i actually put corn 🌽 and peanuts 🥜 with the shell on out for them also. They all eat together. You must have some mean squirrels... lol
I almost thought you were talking about the area I live in.😁One of my neighbors has a youtube channel showing all sorts of animals. He is keeping us up to date on a pregnant doe he has named Nicky, we should get to see some fawns soon.😊
Same in our back yard
My father said "Those squirrels don't like that Cajun bird seed." when he heard about this years ago. Happy Father's Day everyone. Miss you Dad!
I miss my dad as well.
sorry for your loss man, your dad seemed like a nice guy
We use red pepper flakes mixed into chicken feed to encourage our hens to lay more eggs. It actually works. My hens definitely have a sense of taste because they nibble on certain foods then move on if they don’t like it. Same goes with the momma hen when she samples the food before encouraging her chicks to eat it. Roos do the same for the whole flock.
Red pepper flakes make the yolk a very deep yellow, almost orange. They look awesome
Not eating some of the food might have to do with the season/time of year like during the molt. When I use to keep Birmingham Roller pigeons they would pick through the feed and only eat what their body needed at that time. For example during summer they wouldn’t touch the corn but would eat it in winter so I’m assuming to put on weight for the winter. There was I time of the year(I don’t remember exactly) that they wouldn’t touch the peas and other times it would be the wheat or milo. During the breeding season they would finish the grit and oyster shells but wouldn’t touch the oyster shells once breeding season was over.
I will have to do this and see how my chickens take to it.
Chickens already lay such an unnatural amount of eggs, putting them at a high risk of health problems.
I got a idea feed both and be nice
thanks for the review, just bought my first bird feeders and I heard about the hot spicy bird food so I might have to see if we need that as well after we set up our bird feeding station
My mom taught me this as a kid. We always mixed cayenne pepper powder into the bird seed and the squirrels largely left it alone.
Was thinking that would be much cheaper to mix together than to buy pre mixed.
@@jimthvac100 Yeah, this "hot pepper bird seed" is one of the biggest gimmicks I've seen in a long time. Mix a bottle of hot sauce (or some cayenne powder) into a bag of regular seed you get from your fav big box store. It's virtually guaranteed to be much cheaper. I don't have that problem because, in my neighborhood, just about every house has _at least_ one tree that bares nuts.
We tried that with sriracha hot pepper sauce, it worked at first but then now we keep getting squirrels come asking for more hot pepper sauce whenever they eat pizza. The birds are now spitting out little fireballs out of their rear ends.
@@jimthvac100 trouble with ground pepper is it settles. A big jar of red pepper flakes/seeds works better.
@@johnlivingston9217 🤣
A bit of correction here:
A lot of birds do have a decent sense of smell, some (like vultures) even have a very impressive one.
But smell and taste aren't the issue here. The spiciness of hot peppers has nothing to do with either sense.
Capsaicin triggers a false alarm in an entirely different receptor...the one responsible for detecting high temperatures. And this receptor is what birds lack and what makes them immune to capsaicin's effects.
The reason we think of the effects of capsaicin as being a matter of taste or smell is that the areas we use for those two senses are also densely packed with those heat receptors.
My question is do they have the digestive tract for eating such spicy foodstuffs. Like they still have stomachs spicy food can put ulcers in peoples stomach even if they don’t eat spicy foods all the time.
@@ok.ok.5735 Yes. The reason peppers are spicy is precisely that birds can eat them without trouble.
Wild capsicum seeds are spread by birds. The plants evolved capsaicin to ensure that only birds (whose digestive tracts the seeds would pass through unharmed) would touch their fruit and mammals (who would be a lot less effective at spreading the seeds around and who have digestive tracts that could destroy the seeds) get repelled. It is very specifically an anti-mammal chemical weapon.
Of course what the plant didn't expect was some masochistic primates actually learning to _enjoy_ the pain and eat the fruit _because_ of it...
@@GaldirEonai interesting! Glad birds are good.
I fell asleep 😴
@@sxs4l245 Bingo.
Love this idea. I found a 4 inch pipe around the feeder pole where the squirrels can't grab onto to climb up and high enough they can't jump up on it works well too. Thanks for sharing.
Great video! I don't usually have a problem with squirrels, but will pass this on to my friends who have lots of squirrels in their gardens and feeders. Thanks.
When I first got my bird table the food was being wolfed down until I noticed it was squirrels leaving nothing for my birds. I started using extra hot chilli powder and caught it basically it stood bolt upright and shot off I’ve never seen them since now my birds can enjoy the food that was intended for them it really works 😉
Really ? The squirrel here, just take the whole suet cake and chase the birds from the feeders..hot pepper, who knew ??!
@@mitzylynn7958 I put suet balls in squirrel protective hangers they can’t get at them I only mix extra hot chilli powder in with the bird seed on the bird table it also keeps the rats away too ! It definitely works for me 😊
Squirrels want to eat too. I feed the squirrels also and they don't bother my bird feeders
@@dorenemayer1168 mine just eat everything just couldn’t afford to feed them as well.
@@dorenemayer1168 I feed them also, critter mix, but only put cayenne pepper in my black oil sunflower seed feeders, so that it keeps the squirrels off, finches, titmice, chickadees, and nuthatches eat their food with out the squirrels raiding it.
I made some bread for myself a couple weeks ago that had a lot of my dehydrated habanero and jalapeno pepper skins mixed into it. Usually i give the heel of breads to the squirrels to nibble on. When I gave this spicy bread, later I happened to spot the male eating it and I seen him running frantically on the tree trying to lick at the new spring leaves of this cottonwood in my yard. In fact he even was wiping his face with his paws.
The odd thing about it all is he is still eating what I put out for him. I made several loaves.
I guess that squirrel loves spicy food too.
@@secretagent4610some don't mind chili,I've had to result to physical barriers.
Interesting. We tried to keep the chipmunks from eating all our crocuses as soon as they came up every year by sprinkling them with cayenne pepper. They were eaten more quickly than usual. So then we realized they were Mexican chipmunks.
😂
BWAHAHAHA
Great video and great information. I’m going to look for some of these bird seeds for the squirrels around my area. Have a wonderful holiday.
Try mixing the spicy seed with regular seed so you get a little more out of the price. Eventually they will get smart enough to pick out the good seeds however
This is such a insane idea about the hot pepper seeds, when he said wear gloves to dispense the seeds.
I thought why torture animals?
@@carollen5633 do you complain to stinging nettles for torturing legs?
@@carollen5633 what torture??? It's safe for the birds just like Wasabi is safe for persons with that strong palet!
@@carollen5633 squirrels seemed fine in the video. Just keeps them away.
Great video, very informative. Thank you!!
This is a great vid appreciate this gunna show this to my grandma she always has problems with squirrels eating bird seed thanks 👍
Thanks for recording this. Cool to see, learned something new.
It's nice seeing someone feed birds. It was my old landlord's pass time, we'd sit and watch them flock by
My squirrels LOVED the Coles hot pepper bird seed!!! They ate it so fast & came back for more. Even broke my bird feeder getting to it. So up here in Western New York, the squirrels love hot food!!! Haha!
LOL I knew there would be some that love spicy food...I Wonder How a Bear would Respond to it?
@@Shivaho If a bear can dive into a bee's nest for honey, I bet they'd love it!! LOL
Deer in Fl love hot sauce too
I heard New Yorkers are tough, LOL! Even the rodents! 😂
@@LeaLogsdon Now the squirrels wait for me on the porch to get their peanuts. I've been bribing them with peanuts & walnuts to stay away from the feeders. Haha! Nope, they just store those away, & still eat the Coles.
I think a DIY version could be cooked up pretty easily. Thanks for the video!
Very informative video thank you! Great words of wisdom regarding handle with gloves and caution.
Great video! The squirrel made the same face I do when I eat hot peppers! I opted to use Cole's hot pepper liquid to treat the sunflower chips and hearts and my waste-free bird seed. The squirrels hate it and I think it's more economical than buying the pre-treated food. And yes, gloves and goggles are essential for mixing the liquid and the seed. I used about 5 tbsp per 6 lbs of seed.
Thank You. You answered my question before I could ask it.
After looking at prices of pretreated bird seed I think I like your option of treating my own seeds. Thanks for sharing your use of the liquid & amounts. 😊❤️
Good advice
It's not that they hate it their mouth is on fire just like yours or mine would be. Difference is you and I can go to the fridge and grab a cold drink of water and problem solved not the poor squirrel good chance it's going to die if it's summertime a miserable slow painful death because he didn't want him getting something to eat from his bird feeder. I hope one day I run into this guy so maybe I can strap him into a chair and feed him ghost peppers and put a bottle of water just out of his reach see how he f****** likes it. Squirrels are extremely intelligent that's how they can figure out how to get into the bird feeder in the first place they should get some food just for being smart enough to figure it out. They do make bird feeders the squirrels cannot get in they cost a little bit more but it's what you do if you have any kind of humanity in you. Or you can do what this guy does and just be a complete prick And feed them hot peppers
What about chili powder?
I make my own spray from a pultice of ghost peppers and steep it in boiling water [ one cup ] and spray it on the sunflower seeds on a barrel. Then the next day watch the fire works
Fireworks 😂😂
Both this video and the comments on it were very useful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for this!! Our battle with squirrels has taken so many forms. But this one is truly worth trying. We have tried EVERYTHING. Thank you!!
We tried a pellet gun
@@scottH18370 How'd that go? We are considering that but we are in such close proximity to our neighbor. Its next to try though.
What about trapping them with a humane trap you can get a rural king or any farm store and relocate them?
I assume you may not have a setting where you can use a pole with squirrel baffle placed at least 5ft high & the pole at least 15ft away from spots they can jump on it … we live on a very wooded lot with many squirrels and ours cannot get to the feeders on our pole due to proper placement and the baffling
@@birdgirl1516 Thank you for your reply. We have been trapping them but they are far too over populated here on this dry riverbed we live on that it doesnt make a dent in our infestation. Plus we dont want to relocate the problem to someone/something else. And frankly we dont have the time. We also dont have the finances to get materials or the where with how to build or put in poles on property we are renting in a crowded living community. Thanks for the advice tho.
Didn't work on my tree rats😢
Amazing! I like that you put some seeds on the ground for the squirrels.
As long as I do that, they leave my feeders alone.
My dad used to run the shop for a citrus coop here in Fl years ago. Anyway when the orange blossums would bloom certain groves would have a ton of deer, which would eat said blossums as high as they could reach which led to less fruit for the grove owner. Well some how this company that made a product called hot sauce got involved. Anyhow i remember hearing that they said to use the speed sprayer which is what they would spray the trees for herbicide/pesticide. So they sprayed one orange grove with the hot sauce to see if it was gonna work like the sales rep said. My dad said when the head of production took the manager to see what the results were. The deer ate EVERYTHING the hot sauce touched that they could reach including bark off of the trees, lets just say that order was canceled...
I guess deer love that spicy taste. 😂 Who knew?
Wow!
I was hoping to hear the deer had an aversion. Lol
@@lsky4446 Me too.
Scott, excellent video and your communication in it
As a professional flower farmer, I've never understood why people don't want squirrels in their gardens. They're God's little gardeners. I've learned so much by watching them plant seeds, watching those seeds turn into little flags all over my farm to let them know where their food sources are. They eat the grubs from the ground, and are so entertaining to watch flying through the old ash trees that provide a break from the wind around our farm. I entice them to my farm, I don't worry about whether they get the food, or the birds, or racoons, or whatever. In 20 years of farming, I've created a quite lovely ecosystem where God's creatures live and move and breathe. They bring me joy. I hope others find that simple joy in their lives.
That’s nice but birds are scared of them and squirrels are greedy, they eat and eat until there’s nothing left for birds. They also raid bird nests and get in my attic and walls. I think that is enough of reasons for me😀
I put out sunflower and other nuts on the ground for the squirrels and put the tiny seed in my feeder. The squirrels will leave that alone as long as they have other (easier) food. But they will shake out the contents of the whole feeder for a few sunflower seeds when there is cracked corn or less desire food within easy reach. Just have to find what works for you. I could see where hungry squirrels might build a tolerance to spicy just like we do. I also leave out a bowl of fresh water. This keeps them from snacking on garden vegetables in the summer when thirsty (read somewhere that was a big reason they do it and why it’s just a small bite missing but it dried out quick, especially tomatoes), and the birds like the water a lot too.
I really dont mean to sound to harsh but these little creatures have caused alot of havoc in my neighborhood. They knock over small flower pots,dig holes in the yard,dig in the mulch along the concrete driveway spreading the mulch all over it. They have scratched and chewed their way into attics to have babies,AND have crawled up into warm engine compartments chewing through wiring causing $300 to 400 dollars worth of damage to autos. I wish I could entice them to come to your flower farm.
We have a serious flea infestation because of our squirrels in the yard, they’re destructive and horrible
I love feeding the squirrels too. Every year mama brings her new babies and everyone gets along and is happy 😊
It’s not so nice when they pillage the supply and scare off the birds.
It's not so nice when they eat on your electrical wiring, eat on deck furniture, burrow up and nest in every corner of the garage, chew holes in the facia board of the house, and so on.
Roast em toast em put em in a stew
@@thomasgarner1415 I concure.
Thanks Scott had me smiling as I watched this video and the effect it had on the squirrels ... I’ve been chasing them out with a fishing pole which does work well while I feed the birds that come to my yard especially if it touches them
while they escape they won’t come back ( that day ) I was wondering though out the video how much would this cost but near the end you gave a clue that it’s EXPENSIVE I may purchase one bag but I’m wondering if this is something that could be baked into regular bird food ?
Just dust ordinary powdered red chile pepper on your seed before you serve it. You can buy pounds of the stuff for very little cost and a teaspoon or two for a pound or two of seed will usually be plenty enough. The hotter and finer-ground the powder, the more effective it will be.
Just don't confuse Chili Power with an "i" with Chile Powder with an "e," as the former is usually weaker peppers mixed with garlic, cumin, and other ingredients that you don't want involved.
Going to give this a try, looks good, I've seen this concept before, but going to try again
Thanks for showing me this!! I haven't been able to have bird feeders in my yard because of all the squirrels, but I'm going to try this stuff next!
I use a small metal slinky to keep squirrels off of my shepherd hook feeders. Works great!
Raccoons don’t care about slinkies. They will pull over the whole pole. Of course, if all you have is squirrels - count your blessings!
@@birbluv9595 Possums too.
I tried that stuff in my bird feeder, without other alternatives, and the squirrels didn't seem to mind that at all they just powered through it and it apparently drove the birds away because I couldn't attract any birds back until I put out a New bird feeder with normal food.
Anyway I found a pole tall enough for my bird feeders that all I have to do is put a baffle right below the feeders and the squirrels don't seem to be able to get past it.
I had the same experience with a spicy bird seed my grandmother purchased. It didn't seem to bother the squirrels, raccoons, or deer at all. So naturally, I tried eating some. It turns out, some of this stuff that is advertised as spicy just isn't spicy at all.
Glad to see you found a pole feeder that baffles the squirrels. We tried one and they weren’t baffled at all; they knew exactly how to get around it!
Great shirt.. your neighbor to the south in canton . Great video thanks
nice thanx for sharing thats interesting i will get some.. ya those varmints r eating up all the seed it gets expensive
Birds definitely DO have keen senses of smell and taste. The difference is that they don't have the receptors responsible for sensing the heat of capsaicin. So birds are biologically unable to feel it taste the effects of capsaicin-the chemical that makes peppers feel “hot”. Furthermore, birds don't digest the seeds either, but they do digest the pulp around each seed so that when they poop it out, it has an even better chance to germinate. Birds can travel many miles before the drop the seeds and are perfect for spreading the spicy plant's offspring far and wide.
To add to this, our digestive system will destroy the seed so the burning is meant to deter us from eating them.
@@AdyKing Exactly!
Quick question: to which "spicy plant" are you referring? The sunflower seeds? You do realize that sunflower seeds (or safflower, flax, etc.) treated with capsaicin will not result in spicy flowers, right? 🤔
Just checking, LOL! 😉
@@LeaLogsdon 🤣🤣🤣
@SweeneyGod Oh thank goodness! You're emoji tells me that, A, you knew I was joking, and, B, even if I wasn't, you didn't think birds were dropping little firebombs all over the globe. 😂
...because that's the image you put in MY head, LOL! Little fires popping up everywhere birds fly overhead. Plop, BOOM, whoosshh! 🔥🦅🔥 😂🤣
Birds certainly do have a sense of taste. My parrot would throw food out of her dish she didn't like, and even with pellets that had different flavors mixed in, there was certainly one flavor pellet she would toss out, because she didn't like that particular flavor.
Yes, many times smell enhances the flavors we humans and other animals enjoy.
No one gives a crap. Your Parrot can eat peppers just fine.
@@marblemadness8870 🤣🤣🤣
@@marblemadness8870 People who likes birds give a crap. Hurting a bird is cruel, especially if you do it on purpose.
Settle down angry birds score one for the birds
I know from personal experience (don’t ask) that sea gulls have deep regrets after eating Tabasco sauce
I appreciate you for not resorting to killing or harming the squirrels
Ooh yeah baby, this was epic!
Literally easy solution, all birdseed should be this type, no other non hot pepper should be even available.
I've never understood the issue with NOT feeding squirrels. I put out enough food in several feeders for everyone. I space my feeders far apart and use peanuts I use. One just for the squirrels as well. I love squirrel s
Every creature that comes to my yard gets fed .From an occasional fox down to chipmunks and my nightly raccoon crowd ,squirrels, all birds . Cardinals are hard to feed because the peanuts have to be shelled. sunflower seeds to table scraps and sometimes I cook extra for raccoons. Spaghetti is a favorite. Cat food ,yet they will not eat dry dog food.
I feed the squirrels as well as the birds. They don’t distinguish between squirrel-intended food and bird-intended food. So some birds eat the nuts I put out for squirrels. The problem is when you are serving really expensive bird food like mealworms. Also, squirrels and raccoons with demolish suet feeders to get to suet cakes unless you buy the really expensive hot-pepper-infused suet cakes.
I agree!! I have frogs toads geese ducks squirrels possums and even a skunk I feed them all along side my birds (the frogs eat the bugs which is awesome!)
@@trillrifaxegrindor4411 I’ll only do that if they are getting into my attic and chewing so they won’t get the wires. If they aren’t bothering me I don’t bother them.
Why not feed the squirls? Not like they take it all. Nooooo. I had black walnuts stored in my shed to dry and those tree rats took every single one so I had none for the holidays.
I think I have Mexican squirrels, as peppered seeds don't stop them. I had one of the cage feeders like on here. The young squirrels and red squirrels could get into it easily. Eventually the plastic part on the top was chewed through so the feeder can't be hung up any more.
Yeah, it's funny because I use pepper seeds to deter my squirrels and it mostly works, but there was this one squirrel who seemed immune to them. He would chow down and not have any reaction to the heat! We called him teriyaki squirrel.
I was thinking the same thing. There was a story my grandfather told me.when he was a kid his father rented a house to an American family, will his father was having trouble keeping the dog from his chicken coop to eat the eggs. The American father suggested putting hot sauce in a couple of eggs to stop the dog. Well that probably would have worked if the dog hadn’t live on Mexican table scraps.
Lol. As a mexican i can confirm we love spicy foods. The more spicy it is the better lol.
LOL I just said the same thing today… two Mexican squirrels in NY 😭. Well, I guess if it keeps two out of the at least ten we have in the yard regularly, that’s at least some help 😕.
I like this idea. Thank you for sharing. I do have another question. As we know as mammals if we eat spicy food it effects our digestive tract. Does the hot pepper effect a birds digestion?
Thx for teaching me how to use a scoop….I wouldn’t never guessed
Try mixing black pepper with regular bird seed! I once had a mouse problem, so I sprinkled black pepper on the floor where I saw some mice and after a while I saw the mice running away like crazy.
Great video. We tried Brown's no squirrel feed. It has pepper seed and flakes. The squirrels don't enjoy it but they will eat the seed if they don't have anything else offered. I will have to check out the Cole's Hot Meats and see how they like that.
I have used it, but it has gotten so freaking expensive that now I serve regular sunflower seed only in those caged tube feeders. Supposedly squirrels don’t like the bitterness of safflower seed, so I have put that in platform/tray feeders, but if a squirrel is hungry enough it will eat the safflower seed regardless.
Great video! What camera are you using to record your bird feeders?
Very cool solution, Scott! Good job.
Great channel and video. Thanks for sharing your tips. I love squirrels and feed them peanuts and corn from our local feed store, but I'm trying desperately to keep them from eating my beautiful sunflowers. Thanks for the tip. I'll give this a try since the birds aren't bothered by it.
That’s amazing because birds are not affected by capsaicin! Never thought of that!
Yea, birds lack the pain receptor that mammals have that allows us to detect it.
Hi Scat, amazing. Never seen this before!
ive never heard of it before. great idea
Birds actually do had a decent sense of smell. It the numerical difference in the amount of taste buds they have compared to squirrels and humans, and what those taste buds are centered around in terms of taste. They taste sweet things just fine for instance.
And cats cannot taste sweetness.
MY LITTLE PARROT LOVES DRIED HOT PEPPERS AND THE VETS HAVE TOLD ME THAT A HOT PEPPER OR TWO A COUPLE TIMES A WEEK ARE REALLY GOOD FOR THEM AS THEY CONTAIN VITAMIN A WHICH BIRDS NEED AGAINST A VARIETY OF ILLNESSES.
In the winter 2007-2008 I put out a squirrel feeder and filled it everyday with raw peanuts in the shell. I haven't fed them since that winter. It is now 2022, and I am still finding peanut shells the squirrels are still digging up. They burried a ton of them.
Awesome video!! Where did you find the caged bird feeder? The only one I found on Amazon was so tiny that the birds could not even get thru the squares.. ended up tearing off the cage part & now it’s a regular feeder 😞 (I’m hoping to deter cowbirds & grackles) Love the cardinals, finches, red-winged bb’s & other beautiful songbirds. I will Definitely try the hot pepper to discourage the cute & fluffy-tailed squirrels; they eat the birdseed + dig up my flower planters 😮
I`ve eaten many different types of hot peppers from around the World and they are ALWAYS hot going in AND hot going out! Makes me wonder how birds handle the going out part! lol
This video was incorrect in the explanation of why birds are immune to hot foods. Many birds have great senses of smell and taste. What they lack is the specific receptor that responds to capsaicin. So, they don't experience _any_ burning sensation at all, going in _or_ coming out.
Sounds like a great choice for bear/predators repellent or maybe mosquito repellent ; although you definitely wouldn't want to spray directly on your skin or in a closed off space for that matter .
How about pepper spray or better Anti Bear Spray against Predators very simple
Getting some tomorrow! It's worth it! Thanks!
Nice one, Scott!
I wonder if you could do like I do to my plants to keep deer from eating them. I mix Tabasco sauce with water and spray it on the leaves. I would think you could do that with the bird seed too. Worth a try.
A product called liguid fence works for keeping anything from eating anything, its made from fermented eggs and garlic. Couple sprays of trees and area, its off the menu. When you smell it you will know why it works. Could problem ferment up some homemade type, but this stuff works
@@brianshook3289 Actually I have a friend who made her own and it stunk to high heaven but it worked with the deer!
@@lyndabuchholz1216 that even kept squirrels and birds off my ripe cherries, and goats off eating the bark off my fruit trees, good stuff
This is humane-it is the prevention of ingesting something, instead of getting an animal to eat something that would be painful to the animal.
Please don’t spray it on plants: capsaicin is toxic to bees and other beneficial insects.
I need to try this cause the squirrels are eating me out of house & home 😂 as the saying goes & the birds are not to happy about it either. I’ve been wanting to try hot pepper bird seed but I felt bad for the squirrels 🐿. I’ve been feeding them for almost 25 yrs. think they’ll get mad at me, I live on a fixed income since I had to retire (health). I’ll still put nuts out but gotta do something to curb their appetite. How can such a little creature eat so much? 😊❤️ Have a lovely day.
I live in Australia. Our native possums will eat most things and any chillies I have grown. I considered spraying pepper juice over my mangoes as the possums will completely destroy a whole crop on the mango tree over the course of a week.
I found one possum sitting on the ground feasting on my habanero chillies and seeming to enjoy meal but I did try it on the mangoes just to see . it was a failure.
squirrels and dumplings....yum, yum...good stuff
I actually tried cayane peper on some seeds, I haven't seen the pesky squirrel in a while!!! I guess it worked.
I think it’s a great idea to mix regular birds seeds with hot peppers seeds in a bucket for an while , probably works that way too, instead paying a lot of money on the one that’s already mix, what do you think?
Genius!
Thanks!
Glad it worked for you. The squirrels at my house eat it as fast as they eat the regular seeds
Ahh! So you have Cajun squirrels. 😂
@@davidroddini1512 yeah I do live in Louisiana 😂
Any follow-ups on this? What part of the country are you in? I snagged some of the "Flaming Squirrel Seed Sauce" of theirs and had limited success with it for 2-3 days after which they got a taste for it or something and were getting into the feeders as badly if not moreso than before. I've read reviews by other people in TX who have had similarly temporary results.
My theory is that the squirrels migrated from Mexico. My squirrels in Colorado like the hot pepper birdseed.
A couple of years ago I bought a three pound container of ground Cayenne pepper from a restaurant supply. I sprinkle it everywhere I don't want mammals to be - garden plants, flower beds, mulched areas, etc. One thing I have learned is that it loses its potency about 24 hours after you dust your plants or bird feeders, so you have to keep after it. Squirrels are pretty smart, so if they detect Cayenne pepper after they have tasted or sniffed it even once they will avoid the area. Since birds don't possess the receptors to experience capsaicin it's a win/win at my place.
Capsaicin is toxic to bees and other beneficial insects, so really not a great idea to apply it to plants. It is actually registered for use as an insecticide.
Wow mr magu I'm impressed with your work , keep going mr magu
So, he filled a bucket with the birdseed, only to fill another bucket with the birdseed....
He put away in the first bucket to cover with the lid. He doesn't leave the seeds in the plastic , some other animals might bite into the plastic, and a lot of other very smart reasons. He takes much less outside to the feeder instead to take a heavy bucket! Smart guy!!!
I use the liquid stuff(Cole’s Flaming Hot Squirrel Sauce (that is NOT made from squirrels!)) on my seed, and have been using it for years. The trick is to use ENOUGH of the sauce to coat the seed. It works on not just squirrels, but rats, as well.
is it made from squirrel
@@fatleo 🤣
I have 2 determined squirrels that still eat Cole's sauce treated seeds. I've experimented with using MUCH more than recommended. I even used it with pre-treated spicy seeds! They still eat it and rub their mouths in my potted plants soil. I had to put used coffee grounds on top of the soil to stop that behavior. They can only stand so much so it helps but they hang around the feeders alot keeping the birds away.
Just curious, how does that not affect the birds too ?
Cruel! Why would you do that?
I like watching squirrels. Their tale has a mind of it's own
Good stuff, thanks. It would be dirt cheap to grow/store a variety of peppers/concoct a solution then spray your seed. you could even soak/ferment in a bucket. In Michigan I only feed in winter, (large platforms for numbers) so the squirrels play on my sympathy in the cold, but this is a good idea. I initially wondered if the birds would suffer intestinal problems?
Nope, they are not harmed.
They may not have a sense of taste and smell, but the digestive tract and the morning after could be interesting: D
nah birds eat pebbles and have a stone grinder thing going on in their gizzards
@@jamescheddar4896 not all
@@quijybojanklebits8750 their digestive system is designed to take in small rocks and poop them out because birds cant smell the difference between grains and pebbles. I think to attract insect eaters you build a bird bath
@@jamescheddar4896 not all birds do that.
One off the top of my head is penguins
The cost for special seeds would deter me as well as the squirrels. I have a pole mounted feeder that is totally squirrel proof. I put a squirrel baffle on the pole that works perfectly with small red squirrels,but large grey squirrels could hop right over it by gripping the skinny feeder pole with their hind paws. I added an 18" length of leftover 1-1/2" PVC pipe below the baffle,and that did the trick. I have had lots of large squirrels try to defeat this setup,but they are totally stumped by it.
I'd love to see a picture of this baffle and PVC pipe. Maybe you could explain it one more time differently that might help
Thank you! Finally, someone who is using compassion and ingenuity. Your solution is by far, the intelligent way to solve the squirrel issue WITHOUT causing harm to a living species and their babies. Squirrels are part of the ecosystem and play an important role in nature. It is not the squirrels' fault that their instinctual habits like....gee, I don't know, say ...gathering food outdoors, in their natural environment... leads them to convienent free food. I find the use capsaicin as a deterrent unnecessarily cruel and harmful. Out smarting them, demonstrates a much higher intellect and is the path of a true nature lover and steward of the planet. How can people proclaim to be outdoor enthusiasts but... want to alter, modify and select only the key factors in a "natural environment" in order to suit their personal "outdoor experience"? I am pretty confident the birds have had a natural balance with squirrels, long before humans came into their natural order of things. Heck,
if there are free seeds...they will come...and so will the other woodland inhabitants that find free food quite tasty🐇🐿🦔🐀🐁🦦🦨🐜🐝🐛🦗🦌🦝🐻....🧸...🤣.... the spicy seeds do fall to the ground. What other critters are being harmed by capsaicin burning of the esophageal, stomach, eyes, paws, etc...?
@@jfwm people like you would have a pet chicken and starve first before they would kill it to have something to eat. You put animals on the same level as people you disgust me good morning you give the finger to God for he put us Above All Creatures and they're there for our use not the other way around.
@@jfwm With my approach,the squirrels DO dine on the birdseed,as the birds are real slobs,and seed gets thrown to the ground as they rummage through the seed supply,looking for the kinds of seed they like. My position is that what is in the feeder is strictly for the birds,and anything that falls on the ground belongs to the flightless creatures.
You are a special human being, ❤
Might put feeder on slick steel pole away from places squirrels can jump from. But a neat product I didn't know about. I put peanuts in ironwork of storm door for squirrels to climb, cats like watching them too.
That's great, didn't know they sold that, they don't in my region anyways. I use chilli powder in my seed.
I know I'm a lil late with this one, but even tho the birds can't really taste or smell it, does the spiciness of the pepper in the bird seed affect their stomach negatively like ours if they eat too much?
i dont believe so. i dont remember what science youtube channel i saw it on, but it said in so many words that basically "peppers developed their spice defense in order to keep mammals from crushing and destroying their seeds, while birds would eat the seeds in a less destructive way and 'disperse' them more far and wide"
The receptors that capsaicin binds to in mammals are lacking in birds and reptiles. They can't feel it.
no, their bodies to not perceive the capcaisin.
Maybe if you mix it half-and-half with spicy seed and regular seed, it wouldn't cost as much.
I used to have some little "bird pepper plants" at my old home. I sure wish I could've brought some of them with me. I've never found to buy but you have to get them from where a bird eats it, poops it out, and it's automatically planted where it lands.
EXCELLENT !
My squirrel feeder is visited by birds, Nut Hatcher’s, Cardinals and Blue Jays. Who knew walnuts and almonds feed everybody.
If you don't want squirrels or omnivorous birds (that could potentially hunt other birds, like grackles, etc), use safflower seed. Songbirds love it while squirrels and omnivorous birds don't like it due to its bitter taste. Don't use a mix; just straight safflower seed. Works a treat. Cheers.
I use a mix with safflower seeds, its the last thing to go. I give hot pepper seeds when i have some, birds but mainly squirrels eat them in winter. My squirrels disappear as soon as they can see the forest ground in spring until snow covers again
Birdwatching is one of the best hobbies, you’re out using observational skills to search for birds, alertness, you’re out in nature, etc, and requires skill to photograph them, all good for the brain.
This is a great idea. I have squirrels, but also have quite a few raccoons that devour my seeds as well. Do you think or do you know if hot pepper bird seeds stop the raccoons as well?
I bought that same brand of bird feed . It's been up for 3 days .The birds won't eat it .
I went back to the bird feed store and they said to give it a week .
I hope he's right .
I noticed that first tree rat had a big set of nad's and he was dragging them across the hot pepper seeds!!!! 😂 I wonder if he had a case of hot rock's later???? Hahahaha...... One could only hope!
Ha ha ha...Good Lord...I laughed so hard I almost puked when I read your post...thanks.
Wishing pain on animals is sick and it’s not funny
Amazing.
glad i found this now i can get rid of some squirrels without blowing em up. just noticed the shirt. im originally from Cuyahoga Falls.
I've been giving my birds a spicy blend of seeds, spiced with cayenne. It seemed to bother the squirrels at first, but then they seemed to get used to it, if that's possible! lol I saw on Scott's bag of feed it says Habanero, so I'll have to buy some Cole's. Good video!
Get some Carolina reaper and mix it in the bird seed. Those squirrels will be on fire. 🐿️ 🔥 You'll never see a squirrel again. 😂
@@secretagent4610 if that’s the psychopathic karma you want, then thats on you
@@plume1639 First of all, I'm semi joking around. Second, with something like a Carolina reaper, the squirrels probably wouldn't even take a bite once they get a whiff considering the strength of those peppers, thus not harming them. Third, Patchouli's goal was to get rid of the squirrels so the birds can eat and the cayenne pepper was not working as it's a mild pepper. Fourth, I really love animals and would never go out of my way to harm them. I don't believe in things such as hunting unless as an absolute necessity for food. Using chilies is a safe method to get rid of animals. Finally, you don't know me personally, so you can kindly take a seat.
@@secretagent4610 if that is how you want to justify it, that’s up to you. Those who love animals don’t think it’s funny to make them suffer. PERIOD. That is sadistic. This is TRUTH.
@@plume1639 I'm not sure if that counts as making them suffer. If someone hypothetically put Carolina reaper in some bird seed and a squirrel came by, trust me, with the squirrels sense of smell, it wouldn't dare to try and take a bite. The potent smell would be enough of a deterrent. It's not like people are mixing in literal poison in the bird seed. Now that would be causing suffering and that I'd be against.
Someone may have previously posted what I am going to say. But here goes. The seed is expensive so there is a cheaper alternative. Cayenne powder is washed away by the rain. So get off to a Chinese grocery and buy a bottle of red oil. Soak a large measure of regular seed. in that oil. Pat it dry and then use it in the bird feeder. Ir will last longer and work as well as the commercial hot seed.
Red oil is an infusion of oil in very hot chilis. (e.g. habanero chilies.) It is cheap and works a treat. Red oil is used in oriental and especially Szechuan and Hunan cooking. Go for it.
Great video!
Very cool video !!